Dem state House candidates refrain from rips at debate

Early on, former Valley View School Director Bob Munley seemed to hint that his debate Tuesday with state Rep. Kevin Haggerty could turn lively.

"The art of politics requires a certain maturity and level-headedness that colleagues will respect and respond to in a positive manner," Mr. Munley said during his opening statement at the Scranton & Lackawanna Taxpayers Association debate.

Instead of firing back, Mr. Haggerty credited Mr. Munley and other members of his family for their public service and thanked him for showing up to debate.

Only in his closing statement did Mr. Haggerty say anything that sounded like a swipe.

"I promised myself that if I got into this business, I would have the political courage to stand up right here at home. Because if you can't stand up at home, you will never stand up in Harrisburg or Washington. And that's what you want to send down to Harrisburg," Mr. Haggerty said. "Not a person that's going to go along to get along."

In between, the two Democratic candidates for the 112th House District seat played nice. So did state Rep. Marty Flynn and truck driver Lee Morgan, both Democrats seeking the 113th House District seat, in their debate that followed Mr. Haggerty and Mr. Munley's.

Mr. Flynn and Mr. Morgan took no shots at each other. They disagreed a bit more than did Mr. Haggerty and Mr. Munley, but for the most part, because they're all Democrats, all four agreed on most issues.

All four men said they favor expanded background checks on gun sales and oppose the 28.5-cents-a-gallon increase in the gasoline tax that will be phased in over the next few years.

Mr. Haggerty was especially passionate ripping Gov. Tom Corbett for pushing the higher gasoline tax but refusing to create a state natural gas extraction tax. He said Mr. Corbett knows the gas industry contributes to his political campaigns and everyday drivers don't.

"Tom Corbett can't see you. Tom Corbett doesn't sit on your porch and Tom Corbett knows you can't write him a check," Mr. Haggerty said. "But the governor of Pennsylvania knows that the natural gas companies can. And that's why he charges you 28 cents per gallon of gas."

Mr. Munley said he favors background checks on all gun sales, including shotguns and other long guns, and outlawing gun sales to children.

"I think it's an abomination that guns are being sold to children," he said. "I saw a program on television not too long ago where there are kids that are 7 and 8 years old that were able to purchase weapons as long as their mom and dad agreed to it. â¦ Supervision or not, you do not put a gun in a child's hands."

Mr. Morgan, 54, of Scranton, volleyed his toughest words at the state, especially the General Assembly, for failing to, among other things, help Scranton get its financially distressed status lifted.

"We have problems in education, we have problems in economic development. I just think that we really need to interject a blue-collar perspective in the House of Representatives," he said. "I just think that we hear a lot of double-speak from candidates; most of my life (they offer) false promises that have never really come true. Too often, we elect the wrong people. We allow money, campaign signs and special interests to run roughshod over the ordinary citizen."

Mr. Flynn, 38, of Scranton, also focused on the higher gasoline tax and said he voted against the $2.3 billion transportation bill because of it.

"It's taking everyday hardworking people that fill their gas tanks up and get licenses and license plates and registration fees; it's directly putting the tax right on their backs. Corporations pay nothing toward it," he said.

One point of disagreement was on the state Legislature's size. Mr. Haggerty, Mr. Munley and Mr. Flynn all said they favor shrinking it, but not Mr. Morgan. The House has 203 members, the Senate 50.

"I think the Legislature is the proper size right now," Mr. Morgan said. "I think the problem is that we just have a Legislature that doesn't do very much. They talk about the same issues over and over again and they really don't solve the problems of the commonwealth."

Contact the writer: bkrawczeniuk@timesshamrock.com

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